Gatchalian removed from Lacson-Sotto Senate slate

Re-electionist Senator Sherwin Gatchalian will no longer be part of the Lacson-Sotto senatorial slate after expressing support for another presidential and vice presidential tandem.

This was announced by presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson in a tweet on Thursday.

“Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian and ex-Mayor Herbert Bautista have made their choices of the principles and advocacies that they will embrace moving forward in this political exercise. Obviously, they are not ours. They now cease to be part of the Lacson-Sotto team,” Lacson said.

In a tweet, Gatchalian said he still respects Sotto and Lacson.

He also expressed his apologies for “any misunderstanding” that he may have caused.

“I have worked first hand with Sen. Lacson and SP Sotto and I have nothing but utmost respect and admiration for the two gentlemen. I have seen their dedication to serve our people and their pure love for our beloved country,” Gatchalian said.

“For this, I respect the decision of their leadership. I also apologize for any misunderstanding that I may have caused,” he added.

On Wednesday, Lacson and his running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, confirmed that they had dropped their support for the senatorial bid of former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.

Gatchalian and Bautista are both members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), a national party chaired by Sotto.

The two senatorial candidates were absent during the proclamation rally of Lacson and Sotto in Cavite last Tuesday, but they attended the campaign kickoff of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in Bulacan.

At a press conference, Lacson showed a video of Gatchalian endorsing Marcos and Duterte during their proclamation rally, and this became the basis for their decision.

Despite the development, Lacson said he would still maintain his friendship with Gatchalian. 

“One day lang naman ang eleksyon (The elections will be held in just one day). After the elections, we will still be friends. If they want, if they choose, we will still consider them as friends. Iba-iba rin ang tingin namin sa kanila as friends and as allies (We see them differently as friends and as allies),” he said.

“We respect their decision but they also need to respect our decision. Politics is very temporary… Good luck to them and sana maging safe din ang kanilang journey (I hope their journey will be safe),” he added.

For Sotto, the removal of Gatchalian from the slate could be a “blessing in disguise” for the electorate.

“Ito, makikita mo kung sino ang may loyalty o wala. Kung sino ang maaasahan at [hindi]. So ang mga botante sa lahat ng mga kandidato makikita mo kung sino ang loyal. ‘Pag hindi loyal, e hindi magiging loyal sa inyo ‘yun, di niyo maasahan ‘yon papasok na roon ‘yung issue na politician ‘yon,” he said.

(This is where you can see who is loyal and who is not, who is reliable and who is not. The voters can check who among the candidates are loyal. If they are not loyal, how could they be loyal to the public? You cannot rely on them.)

“Ang (a) politician only thinks of himself in the next elections while a public servant thinks of his work and the next generation,” he added.

Sotto said he plans to talk to Gatchalian within the day.

Lacson backed Sotto’s statement, saying it was “good” for Gatchalian to be outspoken about his endorsements of other presidential and vice presidential contenders.

“At least nalibre na rin s’ya. Mabuti na rin na nagkaintindihan nang ganito kaaga at least maluwag sa dibdib niya kung sino ang gusto niyang tulungan or suportahan,” he said.

(At least he is now free and it is good that he already clarified this at the early stage of the campaign. It would be easier for him to declare support for other candidates.)

He then recalled Gatchalian's original intention to run for vice president if Duterte decided to run for president.

Sotto said the NPC would meet next week together with their council of leaders to tackle matters such as the presidential and senatorial endorsements of the party. 

“I’ll be very blunt about this when I talk to my partymates ang magiging appeal ko sa mga partymates namin (my appeal), is that either we support the Lacson-Sotto tandem or don’t support any other presidential candidates, the party won't support any presidential candidate. It’s either Senator Lacson or ‘wag na lang kung ayaw nila (none at all). Ganoon ang magiging appeal ko (That would be my appeal),” he said.

Sotto expressed confidence that at least 75% of the NPC members would support the Lacson-Sotto tandem in 2022, explaining that differences in endorsements are common in major political parties.

Lacson said his scrutiny of the lawmakers’ pork barrel funds was one of the reasons some NPC and National Unity Party members did not support his bid.

“I already explained to them, I am not against pork barrel per se. Ilagay lang sa ayos pero kung ‘yan pa rin ang magiging reason para hindi nila ako suportahan (just put it in the right process but if that would be the reason why they won’t support me), I will remain proud of my position because that has been my advocacy,” the presidential hopeful said.

“Anti-corruption talaga ako e. Wala akong magagawa hindi ko mapapalitan ang position ko. Ngayon pa ba ako magpapalit? Just because I am running for president, I will please everybody? HIndi po ako ganon. I will stand my ground,” he added.

(I am really against corruption. I can’t do anything because I cannot change my position. Should I change my position now? Just because I am running for president, I will please everybody? I am not that kind of person. I will stand my ground.)

The Lacson and Sotto senatorial slate is now down to 13: former Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar, Dr. Minguita Padilla, former Makati Representative Monsour del Rosario, former Senator JV Ejercito, former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Antique Representative Loren Legarda, Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Senator Joel Villanueva, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Information and Communications Secretary Gregorio Honasan II, Senator Richard Gordon, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and broadcaster Raffy Tulfo.

Lacson and Sotto said the senatorial candidates would enjoy their endorsement as long as they would not “openly” endorse other presidential and vice presidential candidates. —KBK/VBL, GMA News